Syncope, commonly known as “passing out,” is a common medical condition. While, seizures and strokes can cause actual loss of consciousness a number of less severe conditions or factors may also lead to syncope. However, the potential for serious injury as a result of any temporary loss of consciousness makes syncope a significant medical concern. For example, those individual that are otherwise healthy may face considerable injury as a result of the fall from passing out. Alternatively, a minor fall may have serious consequences if the individual is elderly.
Despite the fact that a number of factors may contribute to syncope, a considerable number of these factors are attributable to the cardiovascular system. For example, a slow heart rate, a long pause between heartbeats, vessel dilation (know also as vasodilatation), dehydration, blood loss, to name a few. These conditions often lead to low blood pressure. Furthermore, many medications cause low blood pressure as a side effect. It is also estimated that as many as 20% of people over the age of 50 have low blood pressure that causes light-headedness or causes the individual to pass out. Such individuals are at risk especially when they stand up or change position more quickly than their bodies respond to the change in position. This condition is known as orthostatic hypotension. The most common cardiovascular causes for the loss of consciousness are heartbeat related and vessel-related. Pacemakers are commonly used to detect and electrically stimulate the heart in the event of a long pause or low heart rate. However, there remains a need to correct low blood pressure caused by other factors, such as orthostatic hypotension,
The invention described herein may alter blood flow as desired and in response to a various number of conditions. For example, and to address the concerns described above, a variations of the present invention addresses low blood pressure caused by orthostatic hypotension. Accordingly, such conditions may include positional changes in the body of the patient, changes in blood flow or pressure within a vessel or vessels, or any other number of conditions.
In both orthostatic hypotension and medication related hypotension there is insufficient blood pressure to adequately supply blood to the brain when the position of the body along with gravity drives blood flow to the lower part of the body. Under normal conditions, to prevent gravity and certain body positions from draining blood to the lower part of the body, blood vessels in the lower part of the body quickly become smaller to redirect flow to the brain. However, the effects of aging or medication impair the body's ability to respond in this manner. Therefore, the effects of these positional body changes become more profoundly noticeable with increasing lightheadedness. Syncope occurs with severely reduced blood flow to the brain. Because the physician is unable to do anything for the patient, these patients are frequently told to stand up or change positions more slowly in order to counteract the effects. Obviously, this is only partially effective. It is estimated that more than half of patients presenting for care in emergency departments with syncope have, as a cause, vasodilatation and orthostatic hypotension. However, these patients often require medical attention for bone fractures, head injuries and other injuries as a result of their syncope.